Award-winning author Zadie Smith will be speaking on campus on Thursday, May 11 as part of the Contemporary Thought Speaker Series (CTSS). The group's fourth event of the year will be held in Ryan Auditorium and will feature a conversation between Smith and Northwestern Professor Michelle Wright starting at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A session.

Perhaps most popular for her novel White Teeth, Smith is known for pieces filled with rich social commentary. She writes both fiction and nonfiction, and was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2006.

“One of the most important writers of the 21st Century, Zadie’s novels and their insightful discussions on race, gender, and class connect with Northwestern students," said CTSS co-chair Samantha Rose in a statement. "They manage to be simultaneously deeply thoughtful and wickedly funny, utterly unlike anything else I’ve ever read.”

Tickets are free for Northwestern students, faculty and staff, and can be reserved through Eventbrite. More information can be found on the CTSS Facebook page.